Last Updated: February 17, 1999
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San Francisco Chronicle
Ethical News Gathering
5/9/96
The Chronicle strives to cover the news accurately, fairly and honestly.
Perfection is seldom possible amid the rush of daily deadlines, but
it is possible to set our sights high. The following guidelines are offered
in that spirit and are intended to be altered and amended to suit specific
circumstances. The guidelines exceed in many instances the minimum we must
follow, but are intended to be a starting place for the many informal discussions
about stories that take place in the newsroom each day.
1. Quotes. Quotations should be as accurate as possible and should
fairly reflect the context of conversations. Correcting grammar so that
a quote is not confusing -- or fixing dialect so that a speaker does not
look foolish -- is OK.
a) Sequence. If you use quotes in a different sequence from the
one in which they were made, take care that the new order does not alter
the meaning or create a misleading or unfair impression. Call back sources
of abridged or non-sequential quotes if you have doubt about the accuracy
or impression left by your abridgment or resequencing.
2. Photographs and graphics. Both photos and graphics should
represent reality as precisely and accurately as reasonably possible. Standards
of honesty, accuracy and fairness apply to news photographs and graphics
just as they do to news articles.
a) Historical photos. Historical and file photographs must
be labeled as such so that they do not mislead readers. Before a file photograph
is used, we must be certain that we have the right do to so without agreement
of the original photographer or owner of the copyright.
b) Enhancements. Pre-press enhancement should be confined
to changes that make news photographs more faithful to the reality of the
scene or situation depicted. Changes should not be made to alter reality.
c) Manipulation. When a photograph is altered or manipulated
for illustrative purposes, the resulting image must be clearly labeled
to indicate that it has been altered and is not a documentary news photograph.
d) Posed pictures. Photographers may pose a subject for
a portrait or for a photo illustration. Photo illustrations should be labeled
as such. If there is any concern that a posed portrait is misleading, the
photo caption should make clear that the subject in the photo was posed
for the photograph.
e) Photographer's news responsibilities. Photographers
must not control or suggest activity to subjects in a news photograph.
"Re-creating" news for photographs is not permissible.
Photographers must be alert to -- and avoid -- situations in which
straightforward photography may give readers a misleading impression.
Photographers should avoid shooting or cropping a photograph in a way
that misrepresents.
3. Unusual news gathering procedures. As a general practice,
reporters, editors, photographers and other news staffers should identify
themselves as Chronicle employees when gathering information for stories.
Any decision to misrepresent or impersonate someone else can seriously
undermine The Chronicle's credibility. The decision not to identify one's
self as a Chronicle employee needs the approval of the Managing Editor,
and the following tests should be applied in making the decision:
a) Public importance. Is the resulting news story or photograph
of such vital public interest that its news value outweighs the potential
damage to trust and credibility?
b) Alternatives. Can the story be recast to avoid the need
not to disclose one's identity in gathering the information?
c) Last resort. Have all other reasonable means of getting
the story been exhausted?
Any unusual practices used -- and the reasons for using them -- should
be disclosed in print as part of the story when it is published.
4. Taping. Any interview conducted by telephone may be taped
only with the consent of the person being interviewed.
This is required by law.
Taping of face-to-face interviews requires the consent of the person
being interviewed unless the interviewee indicates that he or she does
not expect the interview will be kept confidential and neither quoted nor
paraphrased (a recording may be subject to court seizure and thus disclosure).
As a courtesy, we should always ask permission to tape record an interview.
5. Opinions. In general, opinion and analysis articles or
columns should be labeled or placed so that they are distinct from other
news.
6. Sources. The use of confidential sources should be the
exception rather than the routine.
a) Confidentiality. Editors and reporters should seriously
consider the value of information received from a confidential source before
deciding to print it. We prefer to get information on the record and effort
should be made to do so before publishing information without attribution.
The decision to use a confidential source can lessen the credibility
of the story and the newspaper.
The following tests should be used in deciding to use a confidential
source:
-- Public importance. Is the resulting news story of such
vital public interest that its news value outweighs the potential damage
to trust and credibility?
-- Alternatives. Can the story be recast to avoid the need
of a confidential source?
-- Last resort. Have all other reasonable means of getting
the story been exhausted?
b) Identity. A reporter who pledges confidentiality to
a source must not violate that pledge.
If the reporter is asked by an editor for the identity of a source,
the reporter should advise the source of the editor's request. If the source
wishes to withhold his or her identity from the editor, then the reporter
and editor must decide whether or not to use the information even though
the source's identity remains known only to the reporter.
c) Motives. When a source must remain unidentified, the
reason should be stated in print (as long as the reason doesn't identify
the source). Reporters are encouraged to indicate as much as possible in
articles about an unidentified source to help readers evaluate the source's
information.
d) Clear agreements. Reporters and editors are responsible
for assuring that agreements with sources are clear, precise and understood
by all parties. If there is any doubt that a source understands that all
information is on the record we should inform the source of this fact at
the earliest opportunity in clear terms.
7. Privacy. We treat people with respect. This means having
a high regard for personal privacy. Ordinary citizens have a greater right
to privacy than public figures.
a) Ordinary citizens. The value of publishing names, religious
belief, sexual orientation, ethnicity or past behavior should be weighed
against the relevance to the story and compassion for the individual.
b) Public figures. Personal conduct may have a bearing
on public roles and public responsibilities. The degree to which a public
figure voluntarily conducts his or her life in public or the degree to
which private conduct bears on the discharge of public responsibility should
guide the publication of personal information.
c) Race. In general, we do not publish someone's race or
ethnic background unless that information is pertinent to the story.
d) Crime. In general, we do not report the race of criminal
suspects unless their ethnic background is 1) part of a description that
seeks to identify them or 2) an important part of the story (e.g., the
crime was a hate crime).
Names of accused criminals should be as complete as possible, with
middle names or initials. Examples: Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray,
Robert Alton Harris, Mark David Chapman. This will avoid mix ups with other
law-abiding citizens.
e) Sexual assault. In general, we do not name victims of
sexual assault unless the victim informs us he or she wants his or her
name to be published.
f) Juveniles. In general, we do not name juvenile suspects
(under the age of 18) in crime stories. We also are cautious about naming
juvenile victims of a crime.
g) Grief. Use of photography or reporting that captures
private grief should be treated with sensitivity and care.
We treat suicides and attempted suicides with sensitivity.
8. Community standards. We strive to have high standards
of taste and decency, and we want to be sensitive to community values.
a) Language. Offensive language, including profanity and
insulting comment, should be published only when essential to a story.
b) Images. Use of photographs that have the potential to
offend or harm should be carefully discussed before publication. This includes
photographs that are suggestive of criminal or sexual activity, are gruesome,
are intrusive or are in bad taste.
c) Courtesy and compassion. We want to be especially sensitive
to news sources in times of grief, personal loss or extreme emotional distress.
We will seek to take special care to be fair to those unaccustomed to dealing
with the press.
9. Plagiarism. Stealing someone else's wording, quotes or
other work is wrong. All language and ideas, research findings and images
presented in The Chronicle should be the original work of the writer or
artist or be attributed to an original source.
Example: Stories that include material from wire services should either
credit the service when specific language or quotes are borrowed, or should
use an attributing phrase such as "the Associated Press reported...' in
the body of the story.
"Gray areas" do exist. Staffers must use their professional judgment
when questions of plagiarism and attribution arise.
As a rule of thumb, if there is a question, it should be settled on
the side of prudence: The material should not be used or it should be attributed
to its original source.
10. Corrections. We strive for accuracy and should quickly
correct errors or misleading statements. All complaints must be brought
to the attention of a department head or the Managing Editor. (Because
some complaints may be legal demands for correction -- and require the
involvement of legal counsel -- we insist that all complaints, no matter
how trivial, be brought to the attention of a department head or the Managing
Editor.)
a) Speed and documentation. Quick action is required in
making corrections -- both ethically and legally.
If you receive a complaint, document the complaint by attaching a copy
of the offending article. Write a short memo explaining the circumstances
of the complaint and your assessment of the facts: Did we make a mistake?
Did we misquote? Did we make an error of fact? Is there a misunderstanding
that we can and should clarify? The memo should be addressed to the Corporate
Counsel of Chronicle Publishing. Deliver the memo to your department head
or to the Managing Editor. He or she will make sure that the memo reaches
the right person.
b) Clarity. While we do not print a correction every time
someone says he or she has been misquoted, we do strive for fairness and
accuracy. If we have given our readers a wrong impression in the reasonable
view of a principal of a story, there may be need for clarification.
Every effort should be made to set the record straight, not just to
correct errors of fact.
11. Gathering information. The Chronicle does not use illegal
means to gather information. Chronicle staffers must not trespass or steal
information. Private papers or private records are rarely used without
consent of their owner.
a) Don't pay for it. In general, The Chronicle does not
pay news sources for information or for leads to news stories. Approval
to pay for a news story (e.g., a political poll) must come from the Managing
Editor.
Credits
This policy was developed with the help of many Chronicle staff members,
many major newspapers and a few journalism organizations.
Many Chronicle staffers provided critiques of draft policies, and a
good number of their suggestions have been included. Staffers who deserve
special mention for their work on the original drafts include: Marianne
Thomas, Ron Thomas, Susan Yoachum, Jon Stewart, Peter Sinton, Bob Graham,
Dan Rosenheim and Matt Wilson.
